If you missed last week’s episode of Kitchen Nightmares, all you need to know is that Joe of Mill Street Bistro is insanely stubborn. And so, when he clashes with Gordon Ramsay, it’s an even worse nightmare than is usual featured on this show!

We begin the followup episode with more fighting from Joe and Chef Ramsay. Nothing like a complete cuss-out in the kitchen! The two completely get in each other faces and the next few minutes is a blur of bleeping.

Finally, the real chef kicks the wannabe chef out of the kitchen. He leaves in a huff and complains to the rest of the staff, all of whom are clearly not on his side. Meanwhile, we learn that Chef Ramsay and sous chef Tom actually make a pretty good team, especially when Joe’s out of the kitchen. Except that Joe insists he was not kicked out — he walked out.

Gordon Ramsay gives Joe an ultimatum. He can’t be in the kitchen at all. No chef jacket, nothing. Confident that the kitchen will be in better shape if Joe stays out of the way, Chef Ramsay designs a whole new menu. It features all kinds of tasty tidbits, including a wide range of seasonal fish, duck leg and of course, an elk sausage burger. And elk chili! The elk is more likely to sell when featured as part of a burger or in chili, as opposed to when featured as a massive slab of meat all by itself. There’s no need to do a huge revamp of the decor, since the restaurant already looks great (a rarity on this show!), so all the attention went to the menu.

Since Joe is no longer allowed in the kitchen, Gordon Ramsay has to bring in a temporary chef who can help to find a permanent fit for the open spot. The temporary chef hails from the award-winning Green House Tavern and is sure to have visitors raving. Now, with a successful relaunch finally within reach, it’s up to Joe to avoid screwing it up.

As the relaunch begins, Joe finds his kitchen staff actually cooperating. Joe is eager to help out, but in an effort to get food out to the customers, he brings food to the wrong table. In the past, his servers would get ratted out for making smaller mistakes than this. But once he gets out of the way of his servers, everything is back on track. The relaunch is ultimately successful and Chef Ramsay is complimentary of Joe’s great staff. The staff is ordered to monitor Joe and ensure that Joe avoids slipping back into his old habits.

I have a feeling we’ll be seeing Joe again in a revisit episode. At the end of the show, Chef Ramsay admits that he still has his doubts about Joe. And while looking at the months that follow, we learn that Joe has broken his promise about staying out of the kitchen — in fact, he’s back as head chef! Yep, a revisit of the Mill Street Bistro is definitely in this show’s future!

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One Response to “Kitchen Nightmares Recap: A New Start For Mill Street Bistro”

Joe is the worst excuse for a chef I’ve seen. He must have planned to wait until after Ramsay left to revert back to his old ways. Not only is he back in the kitchen but four of his staff are no longer working there. And yes, I’d love to see a revisit so Ramsay can rip him a new one for breaking his promise. That is if his restaurant is even still open!